


Well, Here We Are

by artemisscribe



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Friendship, history has it's eyes on you, scott's birth, the mars landing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 23:53:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14343606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemisscribe/pseuds/artemisscribe
Summary: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind..." is a hard act to follow. But Jeff Tracy has the expectations of a whole planet on his shoulders.These are the first moments of the Ares One Landing Mission on Mars.





	Well, Here We Are

“Ares One, this is Houston. We have one final transmission before you attempt descent. We know we hadn’t scheduled this in but Colonel Tracy we have two very important messages for you. The first is from your wife. She says she’s very sorry but he didn’t look like a John. And the second is from Scott Carpenter Tracy.”

 

The soft Texan drawl of Mission Controller Abigail Wheton is replaced by a soft gurgling noise. Lee shifts in his seat to watch as Jeff’s pen stills on his pre-flight checklist and wonder spreads across his friend’s face. The sound lasts barely ten seconds before Abigail is back on the comms.

 

“I’m also to tell you he arrived a little over five hours ago at six forty five our time, here in Texas and he’s eight pounds two and twenty four inches long. That’s a damn big kid Tracy, you owe your wife something nice. So congratulations Papa Tracy. Go make your cub proud. Huston has you at four minutes ‘til go time.”

 

There’s a seven minute delay between Earth and Mars, and so by the time that Jeff’s slightly hoarse “Thank you Huston I’ll do that” makes the fourteen minute round trip they’ve already made their terrifying descent to the Martian surface.

 

When Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Moon they stayed in the landing capsule for several hours before venturing out onto the lunar surface. In 2039 these things are a little easier.

 

Lee’s glad the plan is to suit up and get out there as quickly as possible. He thinks Jeff’s about to burst. Not that his friend is admitting to anything like being emotional while the whole world is listening to their comms.

 

“You okay?” he asks once, just before they put their helmets on.

 

“Yeah,” Jeff says, his bluster obvious to his oldest friend, “Fine. Let’s do this.”

 

There’s protocol, and ceremony. Jeff is supposed to go down the ladder first and say his words and then Lee follows.

 

The words had been debated again and again over the two years of mission prep. After all it’s hard to compete with ‘ _That’s one small step for man…_ ’. Lee’s suggestion of ‘ _Well, here we are_ ’ had been unanimously rejected by the writing group despite its literary connections, but he knew they wouldn’t get a say anyway. History these days was designed by committee, not made by men in the moment.

 

The final choice has been approved by scientists, historians and writers. Even the President has given Jeff’s assigned words her approval, and Jeff has practiced and practiced them on their four month journey across the solar system. Lee knows his friend has them written down on a slip of paper he has tucked inside the pocket of his undersuit, next to his heart along with the sonogram of his now newborn son.

 

Lee stands at the hatch of the landing module and watches Jeff’s slow descent in the bulky spacesuit. He watches his friend turn and look out over the vast, empty horizon of the planet. And then there’s silence.

 

Lee knows that Jeff’s mic isn’t broken, he can hear him breathing. But he really should have spoken by now. He fights the urge to call after him, ask if he’s alright, but PR have stressed the importance of this moment. So instead he follows after Jeff; down the ladder and out onto the Martian desert. He’s careful not to tread on Jeff’s first footprint, something they’ve been asked to preserve and so it takes him a few minutes to cross the short distance and wordlessly put his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

 

Jeff turns to face him, and of all the wonders that Lee has seen on this mission the one he never expected was tears streaming down Jeff Tracy’s cheeks. His friend smiles at him and then turns back to point at the bright white point of light sitting low on the horizon.

 

“Look Lee,” Jeff says. “Home.

**Author's Note:**

> This stemmed from a conversation with the marvellous Akireyta and was also inspired by an Ask Reddit question "What should the first words on Mars be?"


End file.
